UNC Charlotte Physics and Optical Science professors Gregory Gbur and Thomas Suleski are named 2021 Fellows by the Optical Society Board of Directors.
OSA Fellows are recognized for advancing the fields of optics and photonics through distinguished contributions to education, research, engineering, business and society. The number of fellows elected each year from around the world is limited to approximately 0.5% of the current membership total. This year’s 118 fellows come from 24 countries.
Gregory Gbur is honored for contributions to coherence theory, singular optics, and the intersection of these disciplines.
Thomas Suleski is awarded for technical achievements in diffractive optics, micro-optics, and freeform optics, and service to the optics community.
Both are well-known in the Charlotte region and more broadly for their research, and their dedication to sharing their expertise and practical implications for optics and photonics with others.
Gbur researches the merging of singular optics with optical coherence theory, with one current focus of improving optical communications in free space – such as through the air – to wirelessly transmit data. Gbur also studies optical invisibility and invisibility cloaks and has recently applied the techniques of singular optics towards the design of superoscillatory waves for high-resolution imaging.
His first two books are Mathematical Methods for Optical Physics and Engineering and Singular Optics (Series in Optics and Optoelectronics). His third book, Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics, will be the subject of a UNC Charlotte Personally Speaking talk in January 2021.
Gbur maintains an active interest in the history of science and in sharing science topics. He has written articles for popular science magazines and created a popular science weblog, Skulls in the Stars. He founded and co-moderated the blog carnival, The Giant’s Shoulders, which focused on the history of science.
He has contributed to the book, Science Blogging: The Essential Guide, and has written articles for science magazines, including La Recherche, American Scientist, and Optics and Photonics News, as well as papers in academic journals.Two of his blog posts have been included in books about the “best of online science.”
He earned doctoral and master’s degrees in physics from University of Rochester, and a bachelor’s degree in physics with honors from University of Chicago.
Suleski has over 25 years of experience in optical design and manufacturing. He is UNC Charlotte site director for the Center for Freeform Optics, a National Science Foundation Industry-University Cooperative Research Center. The center’s mission is to advance research and education in the science, engineering, and applications of systems based on freeform optics through dedicated industry and university partnerships.
Suleski is co-author of the book Diffractive Optics: Design, Fabrication, and Test and serves as senior editor for the Journal of Optical Microsystems. He served as senior editor for the Journal of Micro/Nanolithography, MEMS and MOEMS from 2004-2020.
He has held leadership roles for international professional societies, including chairing or co-chairing international technical conferences on optics. Suleski is also a Fellow of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering, and the 2017 recipient of the John J. Turin Award for Outstanding Career Accomplishments from the University of Toledo.
Suleski received doctoral and master’s degrees in physics from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Toledo. He worked at Digital Optics Corporation, a spin-out company from UNC Charlotte, from 1996 until 2003. While at Digital Optics, he worked with a range of military and commercial partners on the design, application, and manufacturing of micro-optical components and systems.
Founded in 1916, OSA is the leading professional association in optics and photonics, home to accomplished science, engineering, and business leaders from all over the world.
“Congratulations to the 2021 Fellows,” said 2020 OSA President Stephen Fantone. “Your election, by your peers, is affirmation of your impressive accomplishments within our field. Thank you for your dedication to OSA and for advancing the science of light.”
Words: Lynn Roberson |Image: Gregory Gbur (left) and Thomas Suleski are well-known in the Charlotte region and more broadly for their research, and their dedication to sharing their expertise and practical implications for optics and photonics with others.
